Leighton wins 720 mln dollar pipeline contract in India

New Delhi, Mar 25 (UNI) Leighton International, Australia's largest project development and contracting group, today said it has been awarded a 720 million dollars contract for the construction of offshore pipelines for Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

The project, PRP - 2 (Pipeline Replacement Project - 2), involves engineering, procurement and installation of over 200 kilometres of fixed and flexible pipelines of various diameters in the Mumbai High field some 80 kilometres off the coast of Mumbai, said a statement.

Offshore works on the project will commence in November this year and take place during the period of suitable weather from November to May each year for the next three years. Stage one will be completed in May 2009, stage two in 2010, and stage three in 2011.

Company Managing Director David Savage said the new project underlined Leighton's oil and gas credentials and further consolidated the company's operations in India.

''Our capabilities in oil and gas have been strengthened over the years and this project for ONGC is testament to this.

''This is the second Pipeline Replacement Project being launched by ONGC with more expected in the coming years. This is indicative of the type and scale of oil and gas opportunities available to the company within the region,'' he said.

The company said India continues to be a key market for it and sees further opportunities in oil and gas and also strong prospects in transport infrastructure -- particularly roads and rail, residential, industrial and commercial building, and contract mining.

Leighton's oil and gas division in India has grown considerably over the past year following the completion of two oil pipeline projects in India for Reliance Industries and Kochi Refineries.

The company has its own marine fleet which includes the pipelay barge, 'Stealth', and crane barge, 'Mynx'.

ONGC is Asia's largest oil and gas exploration and production company and ranks 21st among the world's top 50 publicly traded companies in the oil and gas industry.

The company holds the largest share of hydrocarbon acreages in India and contributes over 78 per cent of India's oil and gas production.

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